The disclosure relates generally to managing a communications system, and more particularly to managing a communications network, which may include a wireless distribution system (WDS) and a local area network (LAN), based on software defined networking (SDN) architecture.
Wireless customers are increasingly demanding digital data services, such as streaming video signals. At the same time, some wireless customers use their wireless communications devices in areas that are poorly serviced by conventional cellular networks, such as inside certain buildings or areas where there is little cellular coverage. One response to the intersection of these two concerns has been the use of WDSs. WDSs include remote units configured to receive and transmit communications signals to client devices within the antenna range of the remote units. WDSs can be particularly useful when deployed inside buildings or other indoor environments where the wireless communications devices may not otherwise be able to effectively receive radio frequency (RF) signals from a source.
In this regard, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary heterogeneous communications system 100 including a WDS 102 and a LAN 104. The WDS 102 is configured to provide communications services to remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N), wherein ‘N’ is the number of remote coverage areas. These communications services provided by the WDS 102 can include cellular services such as long-term evolution (LTE) and location-based services based on wireless solutions (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Global Positioning System (GPS), and others), as examples. The remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) may be remotely located. In this regard, the remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) are created by and centered on remote units 108(1)-108(N) connected to a central unit 110 (e.g., a head-end equipment, a head-end controller, or a head-end unit). The central unit 110 may be communicatively coupled to a signal source 112, for example a base transceiver station (BTS) or a baseband unit (BBU). In this regard, the central unit 110 receives WDS downlink communications signals 114D from the signal source 112 to be distributed to the remote units 108(1)-108(N). The remote units 108(1)-108(N) are configured to receive the WDS downlink communications signals 114D from the central unit 110 over a communications medium 116 to be distributed to the respective remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) of the remote units 108(1)-108(N). Each of the remote units 108(1)-108(N) may include an RF transmitter/receiver and a respective antenna 118(1)-118(N) operably connected to the RF transmitter/receiver to wirelessly distribute the communications services to client devices 120 within the respective remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N). The remote units 108(1)-108(N) are also configured to receive WDS uplink communications signals 114U from the client devices 120 in the respective remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) to be distributed to the signal source 112. The size of each of the remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) is determined by the amount of RF power transmitted by the respective remote units 108(1)-108(N), receiver sensitivity, antenna gain, and RF environment, as well as by RF transmitter/receiver sensitivity of the client devices 120. The client devices 120 usually have a fixed maximum RF receiver sensitivity, so that the above-mentioned properties of the remote units 108(1)-108(N) mainly determine the size of the respective remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N).
In a non-limiting example, the remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N) are also configured to be served by RF circuits 122(1)-122(N) (e.g., Wi-Fi Access Points and indoor base stations) that are collocated with the remote units 108(1)-108(N). The RF circuits 122(1)-122(N) are communicatively coupled to the LAN 104 for communicating LAN downlink communications signals 124D and LAN uplink communications signals 124U in the remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N). In one example, the LAN 104 includes Ethernet switching circuits 126, such as Ethernet switches and/or Ethernet bridges, that are interconnected with the RF circuits 122(1)-122(N). Given that the remote units 108(1)-108(N) and the RF circuits 122(1)-122(N) may be configured to provide wireless services concurrently in the remote coverage areas 106(1)-106(N), it may be desired to manage the WDS 102 and the LAN 104 effectively and efficiently to maximize overall quality-of-experiences (QoEs) of the heterogeneous communications system 100.
No admission is made that any reference cited herein constitutes prior art. Applicant expressly reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of any cited documents.